Wildlife Learning Center

A refuge for exotic pets whose owners could no longer handle them, the Wildlife Learning Center puts you so close to the creatures, you can almost touch them. The one-acre preserve in Sylmar houses more than 200 animals. Some, like bobcats and a hawk, are native to Los Angeles. The menagerie contains bald eagles, squirrel monkeys, prairie dogs, and a Siberian lynx. Admission is $7, and a donation of at least $35 gains you access to some cages, with an escort, of course.